TfL poised to add Meteorite to agency roster

Transport for London (TfL) is poised to appoint integrated agency Meteorite to its roster following a six-month pitch.

Meteorite is understood to have won a place on the roster following a pitch against a number of undisclosed agencies. It will sit alongside M&C Saatchi, WCRS, Mediaedge:cia and Chemistry Communications Group.

TfL issued a tender last year to find a through-the-line agency to handle a variety of activity, including press ads, posters, leaflets, point-of-sale material and postcards (MW September 7). Meteorite refuses to comment on the appointment, while TfL denies a decision has been made.

The transport operator retained M&C Saatchi last year following a statutory pitch but also appointed WCRS to the roster to handle its congestion charge advertising and a brief for safer travel at night. Mediaedge:cia handles TfL’s £10m media planning and buying account. Chemistry is its retained direct marketing agency.

It is understood that the pitch featured three separate briefs. One focused on areas such as fares and ticketing projects, bus and river services publicity, and management of TfL’s photo library. The second concerned major events such as the London Marathon and the Notting Hill Carnival, while the third was based around creating promotional leaflets for London Underground’s Platform for Art public art programme.

At the end of last year, TfL named former CDP and McCann Erickson managing partner Chris McLeod as its head of marketing. McLeod reports to director of marketing Nigel Marson, who replaced Chris Townsend, who left to join the London 2012 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games.